Treatment Resistant Mood Disorders Among LGBTQ People: Clinical Features and Response to Treatment

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are more likely to experience stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion than others. These exposures could produce different forms of depressive illness, which may respond differentially to antidepressant interventions. We aimed to identify clinical characteristics that distinguish LGBTQ patients with treatment resistant mood disorders, including their response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We hypothesized that LGBTQ patients would present with distinct clinical features and that they might not respond as well to ECT.